Ear-ly Disappointed

Posted on Wed May 9th, 2018 @ 6:43pm by Lieutenant JG Siobahn Fallon & Warrant Officer Koh Otassu

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/4

As she first waked into the lounge, Siobahn glanced around the room, her gaze finally settling on Koh, a smile playing at her lips as she grabbed a drink and approached the table he was sitting at. Sinking into the seat across from him, she smiled warmly. "I must say, Mr Bunny, I am a touch disappointed in you!" she exclaimed with mock annoyance. "Easter has come and gone and I've not heard a single whisper from anywhere on the ship of a mysterious bunny deliverin' chocolates to small children!"

Koh watched the woman settle in. Fiery red hair was always an attention getter, but her accent grabbed him just as well. Those lengthy ears of his twitched with each word she said, and at the end he could only smile. "Wouldn't be much of a mystery if folks heard about my deliveries, now would I?" he replied, holding that smile as he did. "Only the good children get chocolate, the bad ones get reindeer. Or am I mixing up holidays?" at that, he gave a chuckle.

"Koh. Mr. Bunny is a respected member of society." he said, offering a hand across the table. He read that it was the most common form of greeting. It showed there was nothing to fear from that hand, offered empty and freely. Seemed odd, but so did many of their customs.

Taking his hand, Siobahn laughed gently. "Now you are most definitely mixing up your holidays, you're off the hook for another year," she replied with a grin. "Now it's gonna be up to Santa and the elves." Her manner was relaxed and easy going, something that surprised herself most of all, especially after she practically groped him in the name of a medical at their last encounter, Even the memory of it caused a rush of bright red to her cheeks which clashed alarmingly with her red hair. "So," she leaned back in her seat and watched him. "Now that you have basically a whole year off from your bunny-esque duties, what are you going to do with yourself?"

His smile actually widened a bit, letting her hand go gently, "Kick back, relax. Not think about chocolate." he chuckled, "Though I just landed a new assignment aboard, of all things, a starship. Might keep me busy." Koh was definitely relaxed, "Not a lot of children aboard the ship, so next year's rabbit themed holiday should go much smoother." he chuckled.

"What about you? Any plans while I'm on holiday from the holiday?" he asked with a smirk.

Siobahn screwed up her face before laughing. "Ironically, I'm the one who ends up treating all the tummy aches from the children who eat too much of the chocolate! Once we get through with Easter then we have Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas, not to mention all the birthdays... one glutenous themed event after another to keep me in a job doling out antacids, holding buckets and giving so called sage dietary advice." She took a sip from her drink. "But, you know, other than the occasional surprise visitor in sickbay who keeps me on my toes, I can't complain too much about what I do."

"Oh I don't know, you seemed to enjoy my surprise visit." Koh chuckled, "Though, learning about a new and interesting species is always exciting." he covered for her. No point to putting her on the spot completely. "I remember I mentioned one of our holidays last time we spoke: The Emperor's Birthday. It's tradition for the new Emperor to adopt the birthday of the first Emperor, so it isn't *actually* the actual birthday, but tradition." he shrugged with a smirk, "But all the children across all the moons and worlds of the Empire get two handfuls of candy on that day. One for themselves, and one to give to someone who doesn't have candy." he mentioned, holding both of his hands out in front of him to demonstrate how a two-hand system works.

"The idea is to promote that when you have two of something, and you see someone with none of something, you should give that person half of what you have an abundance of. If everyone in the Empire has one of something, then no one is without. It's a pretty good lesson to teach kids, but the kids quickly found out that if they give their other hand of candy to their parents, that candy usually winds up back with the kids anyway. So it also teaches them about loopholes and how to keep what is given to them, I guess?" he questioned, but still sounded humorous.

"I've heard a bit about those holidays you mentioned. Mostly just eating lots of food and then waiting for the next holiday feast."

"That's the amazin'ly frustratin' thing about kids," Siobahn replied easily. "They can take a perfectly good life lesson, find a vague loophole and exploit it, all in the name of innocence. Yet if an adult did that, well, they'd probably be a politician." She paused for a moment to take another sip of her drink.

"I think most Earth holidays are basically about food or gifts. Don't get me wrong, they all have a basis in somethin' either theological or mythical, but for most people now it's mostly about the food and the gifts. Unless of course you grow up with strict Irish Catholic parents, then you have to add in the gruellin' religious nonsense like lent... 40 days of fasting and givin' up everythin' you love in the lead up to Easter." she finished by way of simple explanation.

"Forty days? I have to say that's impressive. Irish Catholic, I'm guessing one is a region, and the other is a religion." he followed, "Strict too, from the sounds of it. Forty days... " he just shook his head.

On the matter of holidays and the nugget of truth within them all, he could only nod, "I've heard that same bit. All our myths and legends have that core of truth, and just layers and layers of hyperbole. They say the first Emperor decreed that Ts'usu was too good for us to tread upon, and then launched himself into space to begin to make the moons habitable. They say that the second Emperor cured disease with a touch." he chuckled now, "They say a lot of things. Though it's interesting to try to dig out that nugget of truth."

Then, that smirk became a full smile, and he took the chance. "I find your accent fascinating."

Siobahn raised one eyebrow slightly. "An Emperor that can cure disease with a touch? That would be a story worth finding the roots of. There are some religions on Earth that tell a similar theological myth, actually his birth and death are the reason for several of our holidays. Strictly from a medical perspective, I do find that kind of story to be fascinating..." her words trailed off and she laughed. "Sorry, I'm ramblin', sometimes I get carried away and forget to shut up."

The Ts'usugi chuckled, and took a sip from his drink, "No no, please. Keep rambling, because we did find the roots of it." he encouraged with a smile, "It doesn't have any real magical ending, though. After years of silent inquiry into the archives, we found out that the healing power of the second emperor wasn't a magic touch, but a fascination with the science of medicine. He had a collection of pardoned criminals who would teach him about the inner workings of the body. See, desecration of a body was a crime, so anyone who cut open a body to learn about it were criminals." Koh told the story, "So no one back then knew about muscles, tendons, joints, or even how our bones were formed. Back then, a broken bone was a lifetime of pain. So when the Emperor called up someone with a poorly set bone, and then re-set the bone it was a miracle. When someone had an illness, he knew what to do rather than the traditional 'burn incense and hope really hard' technique."

Koh motioned forward with his glass, "The second Emperor discovered medicine. So I guess that's magic, in a way."

"So, basically, your second Emperor is akin to our earliest witches?" she countered. "Well, I guess from an Earthly perspective no one ever truly discovered the root of the legends... I mean, really? Son of a deity born to a virgin?" She shook her head. "Murdered, only to be resurrected 3 days later? A man who could allegedly cure everythin' from paraplegics to leprosy with a single touch?" She shook her head slightly. "The witches had more credibility than the son of a deity as far as I'm concerned... and right now I'm sure my parents are rollin' in their graves at my heresy!" she finished, crossing herself.

"Sounds a little too fantastic to me, no offense." he offered, "Though, it sounds more like a team then just one person. Maybe it *was* a team, but none of them wanted the credit for what they saw as just helping people in need, so they gave the credit to their team lead? Maybe he was murdered by those that didn't understand their trade, and his twin brother picked up the role of leader when he heard his brother was killed out of ignorance?" Koh offered, "Again, no disrespect intended. Just looking for the core in the ... I guess the onion of myth? Layers... I think I lost the reference somewhere." he chuckled.

"What we should be taking away from all of this, is that two civilizations trillions of miles apart, with no means to communicate, have similar stories of myth and legend to their credit." he raised his glass a bit, "Means we have a lot in common already." he smiled, "Do you also have campfire stories of ghosts and spirits?"

Raising her glass, Siobahn grinned, "Aye, now that we do! Even at the academy there were campfire nights where stories were told. Most of them I could laugh off but some, goodness, they still chill my bones!" She laughed as she tilted her head a little, looking across at him. "Though when I was doing guides as a child they scared the absolute bejeezus out of me! I spent many a night in a tent waiting for things that go bump in the night to come and get me!"

Koh smiled along, and gave a laugh at the 'bump in the night' monster comment. "Oh we have those. Stories of ancient ghosts that seek revenge against the living. Long lost loves seeking to reunite with those they lost." he chuckled, "We also had dark and spooky caves, and would dare each other to go further than the rest. I look back at my childhood and realized that flying a figwhter is the least scary, and probably least stupid, thing I've done in my life." he laughed, "I don't know how I still have all my fingers. Or no white hair." he shook his head, taking a sip. "But we were all taught from a young age that it takes two to banish any evil you bring back from scary places, so we couldn't go anywhere alone."

"Really?" Siobahn exclaimed in surprise, setting her glass down on the table. "Part of the thrill for us was going alone. I still sometimes have to remind myself that there are no monsters in my closet! Even now as a semi rational adult I sometimes find it difficult to stand in front of a mirror without thinking about Bloody Mary!" She shuddered outwardly. "Clearly your culture is a lot more compassionate than mine! I think that's part of why I love medicine so much, the whole helping people, not hurting them."

"Well, compassionate is one way of putting it. We tend to have big families, and if your little sibling gets hurt on your watch you're in trouble up to your ears. So, we watch out for each other, sure... but it's not entirely altruistic." he chuckled. "Plus, there was the other reason to bring people with you. If you went all the way into Dead Man's Cave and brought back a rock from where no light reached, you'd need backup for a story like that." he smirked, "Also, you always brought a buddy to check for Tattle Tail pollen. It's a flower that only blooms at night, and the pollen is luminescent. If your folks caught you with Tattle Tail pollen on you, it was a sure bet you were someplace you weren't supposed to be."

"Ah, now see, that makes a lot more sense now!" she replied with a laugh. "That's a pretty important kind of back-up... I don't know about it was like for you, but I know when I was young, an angry Momma was scarier than any campfire tale I ever heard. If she used 'that voice', you knew you had been caught out... if 'that voice' came with your full name," she paused momentarily and shook her head. "Run for the hills and don't look back... Not that it did much good, by then the entire village knew you were on the lam and no doubt you'd get hauled back off home pretty quick."

Koh joined in with her laugh, nodding emphatically, "Oh, if Mother used your middle name, you were doomed." a quick swig to finish off his glass, and another nod, "Your Mother had the Tone too?? Oh it's universal, must be. If she used the Tone, you offered no resistance. No excuse, no explanation. Nothing. You just shut your trap, bit your teeth, and waited for the verdict."

"I could have a writ, signed by the Emperor herself, excusing me from my actions and Mother would still punish me, if I made her use that tone of voice."

Taking a sip of her drink before turning the glass in her hands, Siobahn leaned back in her seat and looked across at Koh. "Though worse than the tone was the silence... knowing that the punishment was pendin', hangin' in the air like an executioners axe, only you never quite knew when or where it was goin' to fall." She finished her drink and pushed her glass away then grinned again. "Makes me glad in hind sight that my parents were mostly too busy workin' to know most of anythin' I ever did!"

Koh set his glass down, and leaned back to relax as well. He regarded the red-haired lady across from him and just gave a smile. "I had two older brothers AND an older sister to make sure I either was in plenty of trouble, or couldn't get away with anything." he chuckled, "Being the youngest was tough, because by the time my folks had me, they had three other kids worth of excuses and had pretty much seen and heard everything. I got the Tone, I got the Silence... and I got the Look."

And he did his best impression of the look mothers give to sons who are THINKING of causing trouble.

"You know, that look. Just a glance and no matter what, you freeze. Your fur, well I guess your hair, stands and bristles. You get a chill right up the back of your ears. Just, your whole mind blanks." he smiled, "Good to know parents are pretty much the same across the universe. So, mind if I ask you a question?"

Siobahn laughed openly, oh yes, she knew that 'look' very well indeed! "Ask away."

Koh smirked, "Speaking of looks.... are you seeing anyone?"

"Actually, I kinda am," Siobahn replied with an awkward smile, reaching up to tuck a stray hair back behind her ear. "It's still pretty new, but yeah..."

Koh's smirk didn't falter. In fact, it widened into a smile. "Good to hear. See, have to ask these things or else it gets weird down the line. So, I'll have to settle for being your friend." he offered, and sounded quite sincere. "Just make sure he treats you right. Gives you your worth." he paused, "It's an expression from home that poorly translates. It essentially means to make sure one partner makes the other partner as happy as the other way around." he was silent for a moment, "So, that out of the way..." he chuckled.

"Thank you. For being up front. In something so new, you could have said a million things. You said the truth. For that, I respect you a little more."

"It's all still early on, but she is pretty special," Siobahn replied with a smile. "She makes me happy and that's all that matters really. But I have no reason to not be honest, I am seein' someone right now, but I can always use new friends, especially friends that are as easy to talk to as you."

He agreed, practically with everything, "I'm sure there's a Dalacari hymn or some Ts'usugi proverb about listening and talking, but to be fair I couldn't tell you if there was." he chuckled. "I'd say we toast to new friends, but we're both out of drinks. What're you having? I'll go get us a refill." he asked as he moved to stand.

"Fruit tingle, with a cherry on top," Siobahn requested. "New friends, I like the sound of that."

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Warrent Officer Koh Otassu
Fighter Pilot
USS Wellington

Ensign Siobahn Fallon
Medical Officer
USS Wellington